Nokia, Sony and Samsung team up to solve indoor mapping

8/23/2012 10:14:22 AM
Nokia, Sony and Samsung team up to solve indoor mapping

Nokia, Sony Mobile and Samsung are among the companies working on new indoor location-based services for mobile phones.

The In-Location Alliance comprises 22 companies who will work together to develop indoor positioning and location services. Among the potential services that could be offered is an application that tells customers where specific products are located in a supermarket, or provides directions to a specific store within a shopping centre or airport.

The In-Location Alliance is looking to develop a low-cost, low power solution that is likely to operate over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Each of the companies will develop their own pilot schemes and present their findings to the group. Pilots will take place this year with the first real-life implementation to follow in 2013.

An In-Location Alliance spokesperson said: 'The aim of the In-Location Alliance is to act as a pioneer opening up new business streams for indoor environments. Indoor positioning is the next frontier of mobile services, offering great opportunities to enhance consumer experiences. For the benefit of enterprises, the Alliance will drive a worldwide indoor positioning system for use in major venues. Our pilots, along with technical evaluations, are paramount for driving rapid market adoption.'

Patrick Connolly from ABI Research added: 'The indoor location market sits on the cusp of a wave, with the market set to reach a significant number of installations in 2015-2017. With a huge number of proprietary technologies vying for position, the establishment of the In-Location Alliance can encourage innovation, lower costs and, ultimately, widespread adoption of standard-based technologies and solutions.'